1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for managing multimedia information. More particularly, the present invention relates to a brokering device for multimedia information.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
The present invention relates to devices for playing and displaying multimedia information. Multimedia includes a combinations of text, audio, still images, animation, video, and interactive content. Multimedia information may be recorded, played, displayed, as part of a live performance or accessed by information content processing devices, such as computerized and electronic devices. For simplicity, the word “play” will be used to refer to play, record, display, or access in this application.
There are many devices and programs for playing multimedia information available. With the vast variety of devices and content there are also many protocols and formats used to manage the multimedia information. Managing of the multimedia information includes, but is not limited to playing, converting, sharing, storing, organizing, searching, streaming, downloading, and purchasing the content. Although many devices include hardware and software that organize, search, convert, and translate the protocols and formats, the process can be time consuming and may require a user to have knowledge of protocols.
Examples of technology available include, but are not limited to the following. A database that gathers and stores web content in a directory from a webcast center using a subscription service. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,442,598). A communication controller that establishes a connection between an electronic device with limited storage ability and a remote transport device. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,113,893). A multimedia database used in distributed network environments to do the following: select and coordinate information flow between multiple database sites and user sites, provide multimedia representations, create indexes of the multimedia information, derive a set of target multimedia database sites, and enable database queries descriptions, and final search results based on interactive dialogue between a user and multimedia database. (U.S. Pat. No. 593,218). A network server with a database containing text and multimedia information, a search agent, and a refining module. The network server that uses indexes of the database determined by user queries and distributes them to a database site, where the information from the database can be retrieved and updated. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,856).
Currently, many devices and software programs available enable conversion between media types. Examples of software that convert media include Digital Rapids®, Anystream Agility®, VLC, and FFmpeg.
Although the current devices and technology enable a person to do one or a combination of less than all of the following: play, convert, share, store, organize, search, and purchase media files, there is no universal device that hides the complexity of the actions using a diverse number of protocols. More specifically, people use multiple devices with multiple protocols and conversions between the different protocols can be difficult and time consuming for the user. Additionally, when searching for multimedia information, a user may not know the differences in quality or formats of multimedia information. Users also desire a device that chooses appropriate multimedia information for devices in the network and even determine which multimedia information is best for the specific devices.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a device that provides the user with a simpler experience by decoupling the user from the technical aspects of the different protocols and is able to provide the user with basic options that optimize the compatibility, quality, cost, or other criteria based on the user and the devices on the network.